Yomi Jones “Sabbie” Olayeye, a Nigerian national, was arrested by U.S. Secret Service agents on August 13, 2024, upon his arrival at John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York. Transferred to the District of Massachusetts for further court proceedings, Olayeye faces charges of wire fraud, wire fraud conspiracy, and aggravated identity theft.
The indictment alleges that from March to July 2020, Olayeye and a co-conspirator fraudulently filed unemployment claims, including Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) and Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), across multiple U.S. states, using stolen identity data.
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Olayeye is accused of collaborating with others to establish U.S. bank accounts, receiving fraudulent payments, and wiring money to Nigeria. He allegedly falsified information on his visa application and has been deemed a flight risk, with U.S. authorities noting his potential lack of candor. If convicted, Olayeye could face up to 20 years in prison for wire fraud, with an additional mandatory two-year sentence for aggravated identity theft.
The case is being pursued by the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force, which focuses on pandemic-related fraud.
